The most popular Irish surnames | IrishCentral.com The most popular Irish surnames IrishCentral Staff / The last names that win in the battle of Irishness - their origins and meanings. iStock Whether you are Irish or Irish-American , you're probably immensely proud of your surname. Many Irish families declare their roots by displaying the crest of their clan in their homes. But which last names win in the battle of Irishness? IrishCentral took a look at the most common surnames in Ireland in order to come up with a top 10 list. Smith and Murray are two of the most common, but one is of British origins and the other’s Scottish, so they didn’t make the cut. Here, then, are the 10 most Irish last names. Many others were featured in our Irish Clans Month series – click through to learn more history and fun facts. Take a look at the rundown in this video and you can find more info about the names themselves below. 1. Murphy – The Sea Battlers Murphys – you win the prize for most common and widespread name in Ireland, especially in County Cork.

This surname, which means “sea battler,” translates to Gaelic as MacMurchadh (son of Murchadh) and O'Murchadh (descendent of Murchadh), a derivation of the first name of Murchadh or Murragh. O'Murchadh families lived in Wexford, Roscommon and Cork, in which county it is now most common, with the MacMurchadhs of the Sligo and Tyrone area responsible for most of the Murphys in Ulster. The name was first anglicized to MacMurphy and then to Murphy in the early 19th century. 2. Kelly – The Bright-Headed Ones Kelly comes second to Murphy as the most common surname in Ireland. The Kellys are all over Ireland; the name originates from around 10 unrelated ancient clans or septs. These include O'Kelly septs from Meath, Derry, Antrim, Laois, Sligo, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Roscommon. O'Kelly comes from the Gaelic O Ceallaigh, meaning "descended from Ceallach," an Irish chieftan. “Ceallach” means war or contention.

It is an ancient first name that is no longer used as a first name in Ireland. However, Kelly is a popular first name for women in the U.S. 3. O'Sullivan – The Hawkeyed Ones Kellys may have bright heads, but O’Sullivans have hawk-like eyes. The O'Sullivans or Sullivans are one of the most populous of the Munster families. In Irish, O'Sullivan is O'Suilleabhin, and there is no doubt that origin of the name comes from the word súl (eye), though whether it is to be taken as "one-eyed" or "hawkeyed" is in dispute among scholars. Originally lords of the territory around Cahir, County Tipperary in the 12th century, they migrated to what is now west Cork and south Kerry, where the name is still very prominent. 4. Walsh – The Welshmen The meaning of this “Welsh” name is pretty straightforward. The name Walsh is one of the most common of the Norman associated names found in Ireland. It seems to have been the name used by the many different groups of Welsh people who arrived in Ireland with the Normans during the 12th century.

The name comes from Welsh, which simply means Welshman, and its early Norman form was "Le Waleys." But this became gradually anglicized to Walsh. 5. O'Brien – The Noblemen O’Briens are pretty lucky – they are descended from one of the greatest and most famous Irish kings. The name O’Brien, also spelled O'Bryan or O'Brian, translates to Ó Briain in Gaelic, which means "of Brian.” The name indicates descendance from Brian Boru, the celebrated High King of Ireland. This gives O’Briens leave to call themselves “high” and “noble.” Most O’Briens can be found in counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. 6. Byrne – The Ravens Byrnes can be found flying around all over Counties Wicklow and Dublin. Byrne, originally O’Byrne, comes from the Gaelic O'Broin meaning "descended from Bran,” an 11th century King of Leinster. The O'Byrnes were chieftains of what is now County Kildare until the Norman invasion when they were driven from their lands and migrated (ha!) into the mountains of County Wicklow.

There, together with their allies the O'Tooles, they successfully resisted Norman and English domination for centuries. 7. Ryan – The Little Kings The meaning of the Irish name Ryan comes from the old Gaelic word "righ" and the old Irish diminutive of "an," which together form the meaning of "little king." The name Ryan comes from the Irish name O' Riain – a contraction of the older Irish form O'Mulriain, which is now virtually extinct. Ryan is also an extremely popular first name, especially in Britain and the U.S. The Ryan family motto is 'Malo More Quam Foedari,' which, when translated, means 'I would Rather Die than be Disgraced.' And they call them “little” kings… 8. O'Connor – Patrons of Warriors They might not be warriors themselves, but at least O’Connors descend from them! The O'Connor name, with its varied spellings, doesn't spring from a common source. The name arose in five areas of Ireland: Connacht, Kerry, Derry, Offaly and Clare and split into six distinct septs.

The most prominent sept is that of the Connacht O'Connors who gave us the last two High-Kings of Ireland: Turlough O'Connor (1088-1156) and Roderick O'Connor (1116-1198). They trace their heritage and name from the Irish "Ua Conchobhair," meaning from Conchobhar, a king of Connacht. 9. O'Neill – From Niall of the Nine Hostages The O'Neill family traces its history back to 360 A.D. to the legendary warrior king of Ireland, Niall of the Nine Hostages, who is said to have been responsible for bringing St. Patrick to Ireland. Niall is also said to have been incredibly fertile – he has 3 million descendants worldwide.

“O’Neill” is derived from two separate Gaelic words, "Ua Niall," which means grandson of Niall, and "Neill" meaning "champion." Ireland’s O'Neills were known by the nickname "Creagh," which comes from the Gaelic word "craobh" meaning branch, because they were known to camouflage themselves to resemble the forest when fighting the Norsemen. Crafty fellows, those O’Neills. 10. O'Reilly – Descendants of Raghaillach The O'Reillys round out the top 10 most popular names in Ireland. Their family name is derived from the Gaelic "O'Raghailligh," meaning descendants of Raghaillach. The O'Reillys were the most powerful sept of the old Gaelic kingdom of Breffny (Cavan and the surrounding counties), and the family is still prominent in the area. Reilly, often spelled Riley, has become a trendy given name in the U.S., for both baby boys and girls. * Originally published December 2013. What are the meanings of some common family names in Ireland? | Reference.com What are the meanings of some common family names in Ireland?

A: Quick Answer The most common Irish family name of all is Murphy, which means "sea battler." The name originated with the Gaelic MacMurchadh and O'Murchadh, meaning son and descendant of Murchadh, respectively, and became MacMurphy and then Murphy in the 19th century. The second most common name in Ireland is Kelly, which means "the bright-headed ones" and originated with the Gaelic O Ceallach, "descended from Ceallach," the Irish chieftain. Full Answer O'Sullivan, which in Irish Gaelic is spelled O'Suilleabhin, contains the word "sul," meaning "eye." The name translates to either "one-eyed" or "hawk-eyed." When a last name begins with the letter O and an apostrophe, this typically indicates ancestry. Many of these names have been anglicized from the Gaelic Irish original.

O'Reilly, for example, was originally O'Raghailligh, meaning "descendant of Reghaillach." O'Neill is derived from a more specific genealogical reference: "Ua Niall," meaning "grandson of Niall." According to legendary history, Niall of the Nine Hostages brought St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, to the country in the 4th century. The common Irish family name Ryan derives from the Gaelic word "righ" and the Irish "an," which translates together as "little kings." Like many other Irish names, it originally indicated ancestry as "O'Riain" and the earlier "O'Mulriain." The most popular Irish surnames | IrishCentral.com The most popular Irish surnames IrishCentral Staff / The last names that win in the battle of Irishness - their origins and meanings. iStock Whether you are Irish or Irish-American , you're probably immensely proud of your surname. Many Irish families declare their roots by displaying the crest of their clan in their homes. But which last names win in the battle of Irishness?

IrishCentral took a look at the most common surnames in Ireland in order to come up with a top 10 list. Smith and Murray are two of the most common, but one is of British origins and the other’s Scottish, so they didn’t make the cut. Here, then, are the 10 most Irish last names. Many others were featured in our Irish Clans Month series – click through to learn more history and fun facts. Take a look at the rundown in this video and you can find more info about the names themselves below. 1. Murphy – The Sea Battlers Murphys – you win the prize for most common and widespread name in Ireland, especially in County Cork. This surname, which means “sea battler,” translates to Gaelic as MacMurchadh (son of Murchadh) and O'Murchadh (descendent of Murchadh), a derivation of the first name of Murchadh or Murragh. O'Murchadh families lived in Wexford, Roscommon and Cork, in which county it is now most common, with the MacMurchadhs of the Sligo and Tyrone area responsible for most of the Murphys in Ulster.

The name was first anglicized to MacMurphy and then to Murphy in the early 19th century. 2. Kelly – The Bright-Headed Ones Kelly comes second to Murphy as the most common surname in Ireland. The Kellys are all over Ireland; the name originates from around 10 unrelated ancient clans or septs. These include O'Kelly septs from Meath, Derry, Antrim, Laois, Sligo, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Roscommon. O'Kelly comes from the Gaelic O Ceallaigh, meaning "descended from Ceallach," an Irish chieftan. “Ceallach” means war or contention. It is an ancient first name that is no longer used as a first name in Ireland. However, Kelly is a popular first name for women in the U.S. 3. O'Sullivan – The Hawkeyed Ones Kellys may have bright heads, but O’Sullivans have hawk-like eyes. The O'Sullivans or Sullivans are one of the most populous of the Munster families.

In Irish, O'Sullivan is O'Suilleabhin, and there is no doubt that origin of the name comes from the word súl (eye), though whether it is to be taken as "one-eyed" or "hawkeyed" is in dispute among scholars. Originally lords of the territory around Cahir, County Tipperary in the 12th century, they migrated to what is now west Cork and south Kerry, where the name is still very prominent. 4. Walsh – The Welshmen The meaning of this “Welsh” name is pretty straightforward. The name Walsh is one of the most common of the Norman associated names found in Ireland. It seems to have been the name used by the many different groups of Welsh people who arrived in Ireland with the Normans during the 12th century. The name comes from Welsh, which simply means Welshman, and its early Norman form was "Le Waleys." But this became gradually anglicized to Walsh. 5. O'Brien – The Noblemen O’Briens are pretty lucky – they are descended from one of the greatest and most famous Irish kings.

The name O’Brien, also spelled O'Bryan or O'Brian, translates to Ó Briain in Gaelic, which means "of Brian.” The name indicates descendance from Brian Boru, the celebrated High King of Ireland. This gives O’Briens leave to call themselves “high” and “noble.” Most O’Briens can be found in counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. 6. Byrne – The Ravens Byrnes can be found flying around all over Counties Wicklow and Dublin. Byrne, originally O’Byrne, comes from the Gaelic O'Broin meaning "descended from Bran,” an 11th century King of Leinster. The O'Byrnes were chieftains of what is now County Kildare until the Norman invasion when they were driven from their lands and migrated (ha!) into the mountains of County Wicklow. There, together with their allies the O'Tooles, they successfully resisted Norman and English domination for centuries. 7.

Ryan – The Little Kings The meaning of the Irish name Ryan comes from the old Gaelic word "righ" and the old Irish diminutive of "an," which together form the meaning of "little king." The name Ryan comes from the Irish name O' Riain – a contraction of the older Irish form O'Mulriain, which is now virtually extinct. Ryan is also an extremely popular first name, especially in Britain and the U.S. The Ryan family motto is 'Malo More Quam Foedari,' which, when translated, means 'I would Rather Die than be Disgraced.' And they call them “little” kings… 8. O'Connor – Patrons of Warriors They might not be warriors themselves, but at least O’Connors descend from them! The O'Connor name, with its varied spellings, doesn't spring from a common source. The name arose in five areas of Ireland: Connacht, Kerry, Derry, Offaly and Clare and split into six distinct septs.

The most prominent sept is that of the Connacht O'Connors who gave us the last two High-Kings of Ireland: Turlough O'Connor (1088-1156) and Roderick O'Connor (1116-1198). They trace their heritage and name from the Irish "Ua Conchobhair," meaning from Conchobhar, a king of Connacht. 9. O'Neill – From Niall of the Nine Hostages The O'Neill family traces its history back to 360 A.D. to the legendary warrior king of Ireland, Niall of the Nine Hostages, who is said to have been responsible for bringing St. Patrick to Ireland. Niall is also said to have been incredibly fertile – he has 3 million descendants worldwide.

“O’Neill” is derived from two separate Gaelic words, "Ua Niall," which means grandson of Niall, and "Neill" meaning "champion." Ireland’s O'Neills were known by the nickname "Creagh," which comes from the Gaelic word "craobh" meaning branch, because they were known to camouflage themselves to resemble the forest when fighting the Norsemen. Crafty fellows, those O’Neills. 10. O'Reilly – Descendants of Raghaillach The O'Reillys round out the top 10 most popular names in Ireland. Their family name is derived from the Gaelic "O'Raghailligh," meaning descendants of Raghaillach. The O'Reillys were the most powerful sept of the old Gaelic kingdom of Breffny (Cavan and the surrounding counties), and the family is still prominent in the area. Reilly, often spelled Riley, has become a trendy given name in the U.S., for both baby boys and girls. * Originally published December 2013. Irish Names: problem translation names The name Maolbheannachta is often anglicized Benedict.

Benjamin Benjamin's translation was never used as a first name in Ireland, rather it was only used for the character in the bible. It is: Biniáimin /BIN yah min/. If you want a more name-like name, you could use Beirichtir or Beiricheart, which is the name of an Anglo-Saxon saint who settled in Ireland in the 9th century. His name has been anglicized Benjamin, though the names have no etymological connection. Beverly I think about the only thing you could do is spell it out phonetically, like Bebheairlí (would sound kind of like BEV yar lee). Other than that, being an English surname meaning "beaver stream" or something like that, I'm afraid, I can't come up with anything close in meaning! Brad Brad is an English name, originally a short form of English surnames like Bradley and Bradford. It was never translated into Irish. "Brad" itself is an Irish word, but it's a vocabulary word meaning "spirited." There is a name derived from this word, though: Bradach /BRAD ukh/.

Brody, Brodie In Ireland, the surname Ó Brollacháin is sometimes anglicized Brodie or Brody. The first name form of this would be Brollachán /BRULL uh khawn/. Caleb Though this was never used as a name for anyone outside the character in the bible, in Irish, Caleb is Cálaeb (KAWL eb). Cameron, Camryn Cameron is a Scottish surname meaning "crooked nose." In Scottish Gaelic, it's Camshrï¿½n, and according to one source I have it became Cumarán /KUM a rawn/ in Irish. Cary, Carey The surname Ó Ciardha was often anglicized Carey or Cary. The first name form of that is Ciar /KEE ur/, which is a girls' name. You can use the masculine form, which is Ciarán /KEE uh rawn/. Carroll The surname Ó Cearbhaill is where we get the name Carroll, thus you could use the first name form for Carroll: Cearbhall /K'YAR vull/ or Cearúl /K'YAR ool/ Casey, Kasey, etc.

Casey is an anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh. The forename form of this is Cathasach /KAH ha sakh/. This is technically a man's name, but Casey was originally used for boys anyway, so if Casey is a girl, I suppose this would work as well. Chase You could use the Irish word for "chase" (the noun as in "the thrill of the chase"), which would be Tóir or Fiach... you could use the name Fiachra, which is unrelated to the word for chase ("fiach" can mean other things as well). Or, you could juset try to spell Chase out phonetically in Gaelic, which would be something like Séas /SHAY us/ (there is no CH sound in Irish). Cody Cody is an Irish surname. In Irish, it is spelled Mac Óda, which means "son of Óda." You could use this form, or just Óda, since that is the first name form.

Corey Corrie/Corry is an anglicization of the Irish surnames Mac Gothraidh , ï¿½ Comhraï¿½, ï¿½ Comhraidhe, and ï¿½ Corra. Gothraigh ("Godfrey") /GUH ree/, Comhrai(dh) /KAH ree/ or /KOW ree/, and Corra ("spear") /KUR ra/ are the first name forms of these. Curt, Curtis Curtis comes from an Old French surname which means "courteous." Curt is a short form of this, or else it can be a variation of the German name Kurt. Kurt is a short form of Konrad, which comes from germanic elements meaning "bold" and "counsel." Kurt/Konrad was never translated into Irish, but Curtis was brought to Ireland by the Normans, where it was rendered de Cuirtéis /deh COOR taysh/. You could use Cuirtéis as the Irish form. Darren/Darin/Darrin etc. Darin was never translated into Irish; it wasn't used as a first name until the 20th century in English even.

We're not sure where the name comes from-- its popularity stems mainly from the actor Darren McGavin (b. 1922) and then from its use as the main male character on the 1960s tv series Bewitched. At any rate, you could Irishize it as Darán /DAR awn/, which would mean "little oak tree." Dara itself (the word for 'oak tree') is used sometimes as a name in Ireland, as is names derived from this word, such as Dáire and Dáirine. Dean In Irish, Dean is Déaghán,/JAY hawn/ meaning, literally, "a dean." Dennis, Denis Den(n)is comes from a French name that is derived from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. It was never translated into Irish. However, the Irish name Donnchadh/Donnacha /DUN uh kha/ has been traditionally used as an equavalent based on sound alone. Donnacha is derived from the elements donn, "brown" + cath "battle." It is usually translated to mean "brown-haired warrior." Derek, Derrick The name Derrick is sometimes used to translate the Irish surname Ó Deirg.

thus, you could use Deirg /DEH rig/. This name just means "red." Drew Drew started out life as a Scottish short form of Andrew. One form of Andrew in Irish is Aindriú, so Driú would work well for this. Duncan In Irish, Duncan is Donnchadh (also can be spelled Donncha or Donnacha) and is pronounced /DUN nikh a/. The normal Irish anglicization is Donough, while in Scotland the same name was rendered Duncan. It means "Brown lord" probably implying a swarthy complexion or brown hair. Dylan, Dillon Dylan is a Welsh name-- it is very ancient, and the meaning is disputed. Part of the name probably means "sea." There are several names in Irish that mean "sea," or have that as an element.

A few are: Murchï¿½ (MUR khoo), "hound of the sea.": Murphy Murchadh (MIR a kha), "sea battler": Murrough Muirï¿½os (MIR ees), "sea-strength": Maurice Muirï¿½n (MIR een), "born of the sea": - However, if you spell the name Dillon, it's a different matter altogether. Dillon is an Irish surname which originally was the Norman surname deLeon. This name may mean "from Lyons" (place in France), or refer to lions or a personal name. The Irish form of Dillon is Diolun. Elijah, Elias In the Irish language bible, Elijah is Éilias /AY lee us/. However, this was never used for regular people in Ireland, just for the biblical figure. Elias is a Greek form of Elijah. Elijah was also used as an English equivalent of the irish name Oillil /ILL yel/. Though this has no etymological connection, Oillil has a historical connection to the name Elijah.

Ernest, Ernie Though the only connection is by sound, the name Ernest was often used in the past as an English equivalent to the Irish name Earnán /ER nawn/, which is likely derived from the element iarn meaning "iron." Ethan Ethan is a Hebrew name, borne by a minor character in the bible. In the Irish language bible, it is rendered Éatán /AY ah tawn/. Eugene Though it has no etymological connection, the name Eugene was used in the past as an English equivalent of the names Aodh /EE/, which is derived from a Celtic god name meaning "fire" and Eoghan /OH in/, which means "born of the yew." These equavalents were based on sound alone. Evan Evan is a Welsh form of John. In Irish, John is either Seán (SHAWN) or Eoin (OH in). The name Éimhín (AY veen) (meaning "prompt; ready") has sometimes been anglicized Evin, so you could use this as well.

Éimhín was also used for girls, so if you're translating a female Evan (it's occasionally found as a girls' name) , this would be the way to go. Ferdinand, Fernando Ferdinand has no actual Irish translation, but it was used as an equivalent of the Irish name Feardorcha /far DUR uh kha/ based solely on sound. Feardorcha is derived from fear "man" + dorcha "dark." Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese form of Ferdinand. Frederick Frederick has no actual Irish translation, but it was used as an equivalent of the Irish name Feardorcha /far DUR uh kha/ based solely on sound. Feardorcha is derived from fear "man" + dorcha "dark." Gary As a first name, Gary started as an American phenomenon. It probably came about with the popularity of the actor Gary Cooper, who changed his name from Frank at the suggestion of his agent, a native of Gary, Indiana. The Indiana town probably got its name from an English settler--as an English surname, Gary may be derived from the first name Gerald or Gerard.

Because of this, you may use the Irish for Gerard, Gearoid (GAR id) as a translation. However, In Ireland, Gary is a surname that is an anglicization of the Irish surname Mag Fhearadhaigh (Son of Fearadhach). Fearadhach (FAR akh) would also work as a translation. Gerry, Gerri, Geri, Jerry, Jeri Gerri (for a girl) in Irish would be Gearoidï¿½n. (Gerri was originally a pet form of Geraldine, although it's used on its own now). For a boy, Gerry/Jerry would be Gearoid (Gerard) or Gearalt (Gerald). Glen, Glenn Glenn started out life as an English surname, possibly stemming from the Gaelic word "gleann," meaning "valley." In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, this is not a name, simply a word. It's pronounced glyan. Graham, Graeme Graham/Graeme was used as an anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Gréacháin. You could use Greachán /GRAY uh khawn/ as the forename form.

Harrison, Harris Harrison means "son of Harry" and Harry is a medieval short form of Henry, so... Harrison would be Mac Éinrí (literally, "son of Henry"). Harris, which is another form of the same name would be the same. Isaiah In the Irish language bible, Isaiah is Íseáia /ee SAW ya/. However, this was never used for regular people in Ireland, just for the biblical figure. Jacob In the Irish language bible, Jacob is Iacób /YAH kobe/. However, this was never used for regular people in Ireland, just for the biblical figure. However, Latin for Jacob is Iacomus, which made it to English as James. This in turn became Séamus in Irish. Jamie, Jaime, Jami, Jaymie etc. These are all nicknames that are derived from James. So, if Jamie is a boy, you could use Séamus /SHAY mus/. However, Jamie is often used for girls these days, and Séamus is definitely a male name in Ireland. You could use the diminutive form, Seamaisín /SHAY mush een/ for a girl, possibly, though this was normally used for boys as well.

However, in modern Irish, the suffix -ín is often added to male names to make them feminine. You could spell just Jamie out phonetically in Irish as well: Séimí /SHAY mee/. Jared In the Irish language bible, Jared is Iárad /YAR ud/. However, this was never used for regular people in Ireland, just for the biblical figure. Jason The name Jason was never directly translated into Irish. However, there are a couple of Jasons in the Bible . In the Irish language bible, this name is translated in one place as Iásón /YAW sone/ and in another as Iasón /YAH sone/. These names were never used for actual people outside of the bible, simply as translations of biblical figures, but it still works. Jaydon, Jaden, Jaedan etc. This is a modern name that has no Irish equivalent. You can use an Irish name that sounds similar: Aodán /AY dawn/, /EE dawn/ or spell it out in Irish: Séadan /SHAY dun/ (there's no letter "j" in Irish!) Jeremy, Jeremiah Jeremy is an English form of the Hebrew Jeremiah.

It means "appointed by God." While this name was never directly translated into Irish, it was often used to anglicize the name Diarmaid. Diarmaid/Diarmuid (DEER mid) is an Irish name with an uncertain meaning. It may stem from words meaning "free from envy," or "charioteer." It is often anglicized Dermot. Jesse In the Irish language Bible, Jesse is Ieise /YESH eh/. This was never used as a name in Ireland, simply for the translation of the person in the bible, but there it is. Jody For a boy, Jody most likely started out as a short form of Joseph (similarly, Josey was also once a boys' name). Use the Irish form of Joseph: Seosamh /SHO sav/. Jonah/Jonas Jonas is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yonah, which means "dove." Jonah is an English form. You could use the Irish name Colm (CULL um) to translate this: it comes from the Latin name Columba, which means "dove." Otherwise, you could spell Jonah/Jonas out phonetically in Irish.

Since there is no letter J in Irish, it would be something like Seóna/Seónas (SHO na/SHO nas) or Ióna/Iónas (YO na/Yo nas). Jordan The surname Jordan was brought to Ireland by a Norman family sometime after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. In Irish, this name became Mac Siúirtáin. The first-name form would be Siúirtán (SHOOR tawn). Joshua Joshua is the English form of the Hebrew name Yeheshua. The Irish form of this name, used in the Irish language bible is Iósua /YO swa/. This name was never really used by the general population; just for the figure in the Bible, though. Josiah, Josias In my Irish language bible, Josiah is listed as Íoisíá. /EE oh see ah/. This name was never really used by the general population; just for the figure in the Bible, though. Jude The form of Jude used in the bible is Iúd (YOOD). This was not traditionally used as a name in Ireland, simply to refer to the biblical character/saint.

Julian As far as I know, Julian never got translated into Irish. However, Julia has-- it's Iúile. Since -án is already a common masculine suffix for male names in irish, it would be easy to create a man's form: Iúileán. It would be pronounced something like /YULE y'awn/. Justin Justin comes from the Latin justus, meaning "just." It was occasionally used in past centuries as an equivalent of the name Saerbhreathach, pronounced /SHARE vrahok/, as that name means "noble judgement." Or, you can try to spell it out phonetically: Justin would be something like Siústan (SHOO stun) or Iústan /YOOS tun/. Kyle Kyle started out as a Scottish surname derived from the personal name Caol. This name would be the same in Irish. Lee, Leigh Lee comes from an English word used in many names and place names (pretty much everything ending in -ly or -ley) used to denote a meadow, clearing, field, or wood.

In Ireland, it is used as an anglicization of a couple of different Irish surnames: Mac Laoidhigh ("poetic"), Mac an Leagha ("physician"). Since you probably don't want to call yourself "Doctor," the first one would probably make the best name.The adjectival form is Laoidheach /L'WEE yokh/. It's not technically a name, just a vocabulary word, but it's an older one that isn't used as often as other words for the same thing. If you don't want to go this route, you could use Laoi. That's the Irish form of the River Lee in Co. Cork.' European Surnames | Dishes of Europe European Surnames “Europe is so well gardened that it resembles a work of art, a scientific theory, a neat metaphysical system. Man has re-created Europe in his own image.” Aldous Huxley Family names are part of the history of each nation. They contribute to the social contract which binds citizens together in a society. So when we look carefully at the most common surnames in Europe, we approach identities in the way they appear the most real and pure.

Did you know that the most frequent family name in Europe is the Spanish surname ‘Garcia’? Did you notice that Polish, Czech and Slovenes share the same most popular last name ‘Novak’ meaning ‘new man’. And last, did you observe that in some Balkan countries, the most common surnames designate actually the neighbor’s nationality? The list bellow is a compilation of the most frequent surnames for each European country. Portugal Silva The most common surname in Portugal is Silva or Da Silva and is also widespread in regions of the former Portuguese Empire in Asia, including India and Sri Lanka. The root word “silva” comes from Latin which means a wood, a forest, a bush or a plantation Spain Garcia In Spain almost 3,5% of the population is called Garcia (1 378 000 people). This surname of pre-roman origin is probably of Basque origin. It was a very common first name in Spanish early medieval. The meaning points to the descriptive adjective ‘the young’. Due to immigration, this is interesting to notice that Garcia is now the 14th most common surname in France.

France Martin There are in France almost 240 000 people bearing the surname Martin. The origins of its frequency can be attributed to Saint Martin of Tours, who was the most popular French saint, but the reason is not clear. It can be a late surname connected with children of orphanages, which was never a common first name in the Middle Ages but now appears quite frequently as a surname. Martin can represent charity towards orphans. Iceland No name As you may know, most Icelanders do not have surnames, but patronymics in that they reflect the immediate father (or mother) of the child and not the historic family lineage. Only about 10% of Icelanders do have surnames which are not patronymic. Since 1925, one cannot adopt a family name unless one explicitly has a legal right to do so through inheritance. Ireland Murphy Murphys is the most common and widespread name in Ireland, especially in County Cork.

This surname, which means “sea battler,” translated to Gaelic as MacMurchadh (son of Murchadh) and O’Murchadh (descendent of Murchadh), is a derivation of the first name of Murchadh or Murragh. O’Murchadh families lived in Wexford, Roscommon and Cork, in which county it is now most common, with the MacMurchadhs of the Sligo and Tyrone area responsible for most of the Murphys in Ulster. The name was first anglicized to MacMurphy and then to Murphy in the early 19th century. United-Kingdom Smith In England, 1,26% of the population is named Smith. The name originally derives from smið or smiþ, the Old English term meaning one who works in metal related to the word smitan, the Old English form of smite, which also meant strike. During the World Wars, many German Americans Anglicised the common and equivalent German surname Schmidt to Smith to avoid discrimination. Norway Hansen The most prevalent Norwegian Family name is Hansen, with around 55 000 person bearing this name in the country.

It literally means ‘son of Hans’with many spelling variations such as Hanssen, which are also quite common. Sweden Johansson In Sweden, the first 18 most common surnames end with ‘-sson’. Johansson is a patronymic family name meaning ‘son of Johan’ and is the surname of more than 265 000 people. It is the most common Swedish family name, followed by Andersson. Finland Korhonen 0,43% of the population in Finland is called Korhonen, which makes approximatively 23 500 people. It means “small deaf” and was the name of famous sportsmen, politicians and artists. Denmark Jensen Meaning the son of Jens, this Family name is nowadays used as a generic surname for both men and women. The prefix Jens- is the most common Danish version of the biblical Ioanne Jensen is the most common surname in Denmark where it is shared by about 5% (288,050 people as of 1 January 2007) of the population.

Since 1 January 2001 the number of people in Denmark with the surname Jensen has been reduced from 312,396 as people have changed to more unique surnames. Netherlands De Jong Almost 86 500 people in Netherlands bear the name De Jong, which represents 0.53% of the population. De Jong means the ‘young one’. The De-jong family name has a rich history which extends back many generations. Many people bear this name, including many important historical figures. Belgium Peeters The most prevalent Belgian surname is Peeters with 32 700 people bearing this name. This is specially the most common name in Flanders but only the 67th name in Wallonia and the second name in for the city of Brussels after Janssens. Peeters is also a patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Peter’. The given name Peter is derived from the Greek “petros” meaning “stone.” Germany & Switzerland Müller The German word Müller means ‘miller’ as a profession. It is the most common family surname in Germany and Switzerland, the fifth most common surname in Austria.

In Germany alone there are more than 320 000 ‘Müller’ in the phonebook (1.5%). In addition there are about 40 000 people bearing variation of this name. According to Jürgen Udolph there are about 700 000 German named Müller. Italy Rossi Rossi is the most prevalent surname in Italy. Due to Italian emigration, it is also very common in other countries, including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and France. Rossi is the plural of Rosso (meaning red or red-haired in Italian) although it is argued the surname derives from another source. Some variations derived from regional traditions and dialects. Sourthern names commonly end in “o” whereas Northern names commonly end in “i”. Malta Borg This is quite impressive, but in Malta 3,3% of the population has the same surname. It represents 13 200 Maltese. Many people bear this name on the Island, including many important artists and politicians.

Austria Gruber The most common surname in Austria shared by 0,4% of the population is a surname from Bavaria, referring to a person from a pit, mine or depression. Czech Republic Novák Novák, Novak or Nowak is a surname in a number of Slavic languages. In Czech Republic almost 70 000 people share this surname. The name is derived from the Slavic word for “new” (nový in Czech), meaning something similar to “new man”, “newcomer” or “stranger” in English. The name was often given to someone who came to a new city, or a convert to Christianity. Slovakia Horvath The most prevalent surname in Slovakia is Horvath which indicates that the person’s ancestors were from Croatia. Many Croats came to Slovakia over the last centuries. Some did not have last names or, more probably, their last names were very unpractical for local folks, so he was given a last name Horvath, which actually may have been used as an alias in the beginning. The same situation we have with names like Polak, Cech, Italian, Grek.

Poland Nowak As in Czech Republic, the most common family name in Poland means ‘new man’ and 203,506 people carry it. The archaic feminine version of the Polish version is Nowakowa and its plural Nowakowie. In that country, Nowakowski, Nowacki, and Nowakiewicz developed as well. There are two noble Nowak lines of Polish origin: Bohemian barones from 1660, in Silesia from the 15th century, (Anatol Nowak, archbishop of Wrocław, died in 1456) and in Masovia known from 1750, Antoni and Józef Nowak—Lt Generals of Polish Army in Napoleon’s Campaign. Lithuania Kazlauskas Kazlauskas is the most common surname in Lithuania. Among the most prominent Kazlauskas, we find Charles Kazlauskas (b. 1982), an american association football player of Lithuanian descent, Jonas Kazlauskas (b. 1954), a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and player and Valdas Kazlauskas (b.

1958), a Lithuanian racewalker. Latvia Bērziņš Bērziņš is the first family name to be carried out in Latvia. The name derives from the Latvian word “bçrzs” which means “birch tree”, with the “iòð” originally being a diminutive suffix used to form patronymics but finally having become a simple surname ending. There were a lot of birch trees in Latvia in the early 1800s when laws were enacted requiring that peasants (serfs) be given surnames and so lots of men were given that name. Estonia Ivanov Almost 7 000 Estonians bear the family name of Ivanov. The surname derived from the first name Ivan (equivalent to John, and Ivan”-ov” meaning “John’s/Ivan’s” making the name effectively equivalent to Johns/Ivans). Belarus Zajac In Belarus and most of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, surnames first appeared during the late Middle Ages. They initially denoted the differences between various people living in the same town or village and bearing the same name.

Ukraine Ivashchenko The most commun family name in Ukraine seems to be Ivashchenko. There is not many explanation on its origin and why it is well-spread. Romania & Moldova Popa The most popular surname in Romania is Popa and is carried out by 192 000 people in the country. It means ‘priest’. Famous persons named Popa include a painter, a politician, a playwright, a guitarist and a gymnast. Hungary Nagy 235 400 people bear the name Nagy in Hungary. It means ‘large’ or ‘tall’. Hungarian surnames, just like in other countries, often refer to a profession such as Smith, Tailor or Miller. But in Hungary it is also common to have countries as a surname for example Német (German), Horváth (Croat) or Tóth (Slovak) which obviously comes from the former great Hungary when parts of surrounding countries belonged to Hungary. Slovenia Novak There are approximatively 12 000 persons in Slovenia named Novak.

There are however significant variations between regions: it’s very common in central Slovenia (in the regions around Ljubljana and Celje), as well as in parts of southern Slovenia and eastern Slovenia (Lower Carniola, Prekmurje). It’s much less common in northern and western Slovenia; in the Goriška region on the border with Italy, it is quite rare. Croatia Horvat Horvat is the most frequentsurname in Croatia. The surname originates from Croatia, Horvat being the older version of the word Hrvat, a term used to describe a Croat. Croats with surname Horvat live almost exclusively in kajkavian speaking region. Apart from them, there is a certain number of ethnic Serbs with surname Horvat inside Baranja region of Croatia. Bosnia and Herzegovina Hodžić Hodžić is mainly a Bosniak surname and derived from the Persian title Khawaja. It means Lord or Master, the title is also closely related to other terms in Sufism. Originally an honorific, it later became common as a surname.

The spellings Hodja, Hodža (Slovak), Hoca (Turkish), Hodžić (Bosnian), Hotzakis (Greek),Hoxha (Albanian) and Al-Khawaja are also found. Serbia Petrović Petrović is a Slavic last name, found in countries with Slavic populations. This surname or last name is not tied to any nationality. It is normal Slavic surname deriving from Petar, which is equivalent to Peter in English. The part ov designates possession: Petrov means Peter’s. The suffix ić is a diminutive designation, or descendant designation. So, the last name can be translated as Peter’s son, equivalent to the English last name of Peterson. Macedonia Milevski In 1944, the Yugoslav Communist Party introduced a plan to give all Macedonian surnames the suffix -ski (feminine -ska), allegedly to weaken their sense of identity. If someone refused to change their name, they were not entitled to any benefits from Socialist Macedonia.

Many accepted this in order to conform to the new ideology but others, in particular the communists, were willing to risk imprisonment and even execution in order to retain their own ethnic identity. Albania Hoxha Just as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hoxha, pronounced Hodja is an Albanian surname derived from the title Persian title Khawaja. It could refer in Albania to famous footballers and politicians. Bulgaria Dimitrov Dimitrov is a surname that occurs both in Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. In Bulgaria, we count among famous people bearing this name an historian, many politicians, a tennis player, a footballer and a painter. Greece Papadopoulos Papadopoulos (in Greek, Παπαδόπουλος) is the most common Greek surname. It is used in Greece, Cyprus and countries of the Greek diaspora as well, such as the USA, United Kingdom, Australia and Scandinavian countries. It means “son of a priest“. Its female version is Papadopoulou. Turkey Öztürk And last, the most prevalent Turkish surname is simply Öztürk, which means ‘pure Turk’.

In the history, where ‘turkification’ needed to be pursued at a more aggressive pace and intensity, such as in cosmopolitan Istanbul or in the eastern provinces, last names including the term ‘Turk’ (Türk) or even ‘pure turk’(Öztürk) were imposed on non-Turks. 100 Irish surnames explained,Irish Genealogy,Irish coats of arms,How to start the search for your Irish roots,family crests,genealogy,Irish roots,heritage,Ireland,ancestry,decendants Home > Genealogy & Irish Names > Irish Names Origin The Origin of Irish Family Names It is a help when tracing your family history to know something about the origin of and evolution of Irish names and particularly how names have changed over the centuries. Early times: In ancient Ireland the population was much smaller than today and the mass movement of people was uncommon. It was usual therefore for a person to be known only by one name: Niall, Eoin, Art, etc. Once there was no one else in the locality with the same name then this was not a problem.

The Gaelic Clann system was well established and this gave people a common identity with their people of the tribe and with the commonly shared area. This single name system began to break down during the eleventh century as the population was growing and there was a need for a further means of identification. The solution was to adopt a prefix such as Mac (Mc is an abreviation) or �. Mac means 'son of' whilst � means 'grandson of'. Mac surnames are generally of a much later date than �. The vast majority of Gaelic Irish surnames were created during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Be Proud! Display your Irish heritage! Click Here to get Your-Name Family Crest Gifts that display your family coat of arms and history. It should be noted that the Scottish Gaels were actually descendants of Gaelic emigrants to Scotland. The word 'Scotus' is Latin for 'Irishman'. Scottish settlers who moved to Ireland (and especially Ulster) may already have been of Gaelic Irish descent. Septs: The Clans eventually broke up into a number of distinct septs or groups. These groups were headed by an original member of the clan and dominated a particular part of the countryside.

It was not uncommon for septs from the same clan to be found in completely different parts of the country (O'Connor for example) so it is important when researching your roots to try to find out the original part of the country that your ancestors came from as this may be a completely different area from that where the 'major' sept was domicile. The sept system was an integral part of Gaelic society and survived and was even propagated by the Norman invaders. The system did not survive the English invasion and colonisation of the seventeenth century however, and it became a disadvantage to have a Gaelic sounding name. Anglicization: The Penal laws that were enforced by the colonists attempted to completely subjugate the Gaelic way of life. It is about this time then, that many Gaelic names changed to their Anglo equivalent or translation. This can cause confusion as many of the names were misinterpreted or misspelled. The name McEaneny for example has a number of variants including McAneny and Bird (the Irish word for bird is �an). Mac an Thom�is was converted to Holmes, Mac Giolla �osa to MacAleese, etc.

The conversion of names beginning with Mac and Mc was even more difficult because the removal of the M sound from the name often completely changed the sound of the name. The revival of Gaelic consciousness in the later eighteen hundreds saw many Irish families reassume the Mac, Mc, � or other Irish form of their names although this was reduced in a number of cases depending on the sound of the name (Kelly is still much more prevalent than O'Kelly, Murphy more prevalent than O'Murphy, etc.) Surnames today: There are many different origins for Irish names today but the vast majority can be broken down into either of three categories: Gaelic Irish, Cambro-Norman, and finally Anglo-Irish. The Table below gives a listing of the 100 most commonly names found in Ireland and their meanings. These details were compiled from the 1890 Matheson report.

Rank Murphy Genealogy, Murphy Family History About the Murphy surname Murphy Murphy is an Anglicized version of two Irish surnames: Ó Murchadha/Ó Murchadh ("descendant of Murchadh"), and Mac Murchaidh/Mac Murchadh ("son of Murchadh")derived from the Irish personal name Murchadh, which meant "sea-warrior" or "sea-battler". (Muir meaning "sea" and cath meaning "battle". Spelling variations include Murphey, MacMurphy, MacMurrough, O'Morchoe and others. In modern Irish, "Ó Murchú", rather than "Ó Murchadha", is used. Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland and the fifty-eighth most common surname in the United States Murphy Recorded as Murphy, Murphie and the Manx form of Curphy, this surname is perhaps both the most famous and certainly most popular of all Irish surnames. It is said to derive from the pre 9th century Gaelic name O' Murchadha, meaning the male descendant of the Sea Warrior.

As Ireland, the Isle of Man and parts of northern England were for several centuries under Viking control, the association between a name meaning 'sea warrior', and the Vikings is surely more than coincidence. Traditionally, Irish family names are taken from the heads of tribes or from some illustrious warrior, and this name may have even created the tradition. The great O' Murchadha (Murphy) clan of Leinster were originally centred on County Wexford where the clan chief known as "The O' Morchoe", still resides today. A section of the clan moved west to Counties Cork and Kerry in the early 17th century, and is particularly associated with the barony of Muskerry. John Murphy (1700 - 1770), better known as Sean O' Murchadha na Raithineach, was the last chief of the famous bards of Blarney Castle. Another section moved to Ulster, where they were originally known confusingly as both Mac Murchadha and O' Murchadha A chief from this section was Flaherty O' Murphy, recorded in the Annals of Tir Boghainne, County Donegal.

Two heroic bearers of the name were the Wexford priests, Rev. John Murphy (1753 - 1798), and Rev. Michael Murphy (1767 - 1798) who lost their lives in the Rising of 1798. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Domhnall Dall Ua Murchadha, chief sage of Leinster. This was dated 1127, during the reign of Turlough Mor O'Conor, High King of Ireland, 1119 - 1156. Over the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. Murphy profiles on Geni

Question: A word meaning "sea battler", what is the most common surname in Ireland?
Answer: Murphy